Police clash with men guarding Ujjain’s Shahi Masjid: Can’t erase one religion to establish another

The crowd gathered outside Ujjain’s Shahi Masjid against the Ujjain Municipal Corporation’s decision to demolish a portion of the mosque as part of facility arrangements by widening the road for a Hindu Kumbh Mela, which is to be held in 2028, reportedly clashed with a massive police presence there on Monday morning, arguing that the BJP government cannot demolish a place of worship belonging to one religion to establish the religion of another.

There has been a massive police presence outside the mosque for two days since Muslim community members camped inside the mosque after the Municipal Corporation began the demolition process for the portion that falls within the proposed alignment of the road being widened ahead of Simhastha 2028, following the Madhya Pradesh High Court order, against which a challenging plea is expected to be heard by the Division Bench.

Reports suggest a massive police deployment has come face-to-face with the crowd that is at the site to protest the demolition, while police had made extensive security arrangements around the mosque following the overnight standoff.

Police personnel numbering about 2,000 are there, while barricades have been placed around the mosque, restricting movement within a radius of 500 metres to prevent the situation from further escalating, with senior officials present.

The Monday morning action followed two days of attempts to carry out the administration’s mission to demolish the mosque by bringing in heavy machinery, including JCBs, while men camped inside and outside the mosque resisted the demolition, forcing the administration to halt the operation for the night.

The Indian Express reported that an understanding between the administration and the protesting men was reached as part of attempts to assuage the tension, by which protesters agreed to remove the marked portions themselves; however, what might have upended the agreement is not known, prompting the administration to resume the removal process.

The present tension prevailed after the administration’s decision to widen the road along a 900-metre stretch between Kanthal Chauraha and Gopal Mandir by 15 metres as part of preparations for Simhastha 2028, for which several religious structures that were on the line had already been removed, leaving the centuries-old Shahi Masjid.

For weeks, Muslims in the neighbourhood have been camping inside the mosque in anticipation of the partial demolition.

Speaking to Maktoob, prominent Indore cleric Mufti Junaid said Muslims had gathered at the mosque after the administration attempted to carry out the demolition despite the ongoing dispute.

He alleged that several old mosques were at risk ahead of Simhastha 2028 and argued that it made no sense to establish one religion by completely demolishing and erasing the existence of other religions.

The proposed demolition involves a portion of the prayer hall, a 120-foot-tall minaret and the Mazhar Chouk Shahi of the mosque, while the mosque committee and Muslim community members have challenged the removal in court.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court’s Indore Bench had, on September 9, dismissed two petitions challenging the municipal corporation’s decision, holding that the authorities had followed the statutory procedure and that the proposed removal did not violate Articles 14, 25, 26 or 300A of the Constitution. The court also noted the road’s importance for traffic management during Simhastha.